Qualitative Research for Instructional Technology Essay -- Qualitative

qualitative Research for Instructional engineering Background A trend of the by several years has been the ripening use of qualitative research for educational research. Qualitative research, broadly defined, nitty-gritty any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by mean of statistical procedures or other means of quantification. Where quantitative researchers seek causative determination, prediction, and generalization of findings, qualitative researchers seek instead illumination, ensureing, and extrapolation to similar situations. Qualitative compendium results in a different type of knowledge than does quantitative inquiry. (Hoepfl, 1997, p.13). During the past several decades, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s, naturalistic inquiry (or qualitative research) has gained significant acceptance. Nevertheless, the debate between quantitative and qualitative methodologies, as competing positions, persists. It is important to fuck the limitations of viewing quantitative and qualitative methods as completely different or competing approaches (Custer, 1996, p. 4). What exactly are the basic differences between the two forms of research? Hoepfl (1997) explains it by saying that phenomenological inquiry, or qualitative research, uses a naturalistic approach that seeks to understand phenomena in context-specific settings. Logical positivism, or quantitative research, uses experimental methods and quantitative measures to running hypothetical generalizations (p. 14). Custer (1996) also points out that the qualitative-quantitative dichotomy dates back as aboriginal as the 17th century where quantitativists were characterized by some as unadulterated statisticians.Basic Features The following list... .... The decision to use qualitative methodologies should be considered carefully, though. By its very nature, qualitative research can be emotionally taxing and extraordinarily time consuming. At the same time, it can yield inscr utable information not obtainable through statistical sampling techniques (Hoepfl, 1997, p. 37). References Custer, R. L. (1996). Qualitative research methodologies. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 34, 3-6. Hoepfl, M.C. (1997, Fall). Choosing qualitative research A primer for technology education researchers. Journal of Technology, 9, 12-39. Johnson, S. D. (1995, Spring). Will our research progress to up under scrutiny? Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 32, 3-6. Sutton, B. (1993). The rule for qualitative research A review of principles and theoretical foundations. Library Quarterly, 63, 411-430.